This is another Sega gun game for the Dreamcast. Just imagine
it as Virtua Cop or House of the Dead with a super spy agent
twist. The gun game genre is lacking for the Dreamcast, and this
is one of just only four US gun games. The other three are House
of the Dead 2, Virtua Cop 2, and Death Crimson OX. Oh, yeah,
there is one more game, Demolition Racer, which is compatible
with the light gun, but its only one mini game that works
with it. Will this be as fun as the ones I just mentioned?
Lets get onto the review and find out.

Graphics

The visuals in this game are pretty much the same from
previous Sega gun games like House of the Dead and the Virtua Cop
series. Everything looks fine and dandy and detailed well, but is
exaggerated quite a bit so it gives you that arcade feel. Like
you can make out everything on the costume of the bad guy, but
there are other factors as well that are obvious that youre
playing an arcade game. Since the game moves along at a set pace
like other gun games you dont have to worry about pop up or
anything like that. If theres anything lacking in the
visuals department, it is originality. I mean, the first boss is
just some fat, little, midget. And the main hero is a total rip
off of James Bond. Menu navigation and nearly everything else is
a breeze and you shouldnt have a problem with anything.
Another little thing that bothered me was that Im sure
these visuals couldve been touched up a bit, because
theyre starting to look a bit dated.

Sound

The sound fits the game nicely. You have that kind of spy
agent theme playing in the background like it came from the next
James Bond movie. All the other sound effects in the game are
proper and sound like they should like the gun shots, hits,
misses, and death groans. Now House of the Dead 2 on Dreamcast
was famous for the horrible, no-feeling voice acting. And you
would think they would know there lesson with this game 2 years
later, but guess again, the voice acting is as cheesier as ever
now. The main agent sounds like a horrible James Bond. When your
sidekick says, Lets get out of here it just
wants you to go to sleep. And dont get me started on the
bosses voices. But you know what, maybe this crappy voice acting
is starting to be a tradition in these Sega gun games. As a
matter of fact, Im starting to get use to them and actually
enjoying them. But nevertheless, Im still going to dock
points because of it.

Game play

Its a gun game. You should use the light gun. I
recommend the Sega endorsed Mad Catz Madblaster, because the
Interact Starfire model has horrible callibration. And those Auto
Fire and Reload switches help out a lot as well. You can play the
game using a controller and use the analog stick to adjust the
target meter, but its just not the same, and no where near
as fun. They call them gun games for a reason, folks.

The game has a few modes to it. Theres the main arcade
mode where you fire your way through the games main levels
just like you do in the arcade. And reminiscent of House of the
Dead 2, depending on if you save certain hostages, and shoot
certain objects, your path through the game will change. For
example, in one level, you shoot a hitch across a courtyard onto
a ledge, and you have to aim your shot. If you miss, you have to
go the long way across the stairs. This opens up new routs to
explore and more things to uncover. One new element that adds to
the thing I just mentioned is random action button events where
you have to tap the B button a certain amount of times to achieve
certain goals, like, picking a lock, for example. Other modes in
the game are the training mode where you practice improving your
aim. And you also have your options where you can tinker around
with credits and gun calibration.

Replay Value

The game has multiple routes to take, so you have to beat the
game a good few times so you uncovered all the routes. And
dont forget about all the hidden objects as well. The game
doesnt take all to long to beat. Just a couple of hours
like other gun games. The game can be played with up to two
players, so you and a buddy can play.

In Brief

+: Classic gun game action, lots of routes, only $20

-: Dated visuals, horrible voice acting, not as many modes as
House of the Dead 2

The Final Ratings Rundown

Graphics: 7.8
Sound: 6.5
Game play: 8.1
Replay Value: 5.7

Overall: 7.0

Rounded to fit GameFAQs Score: 7

Comments

Well, its not the best of the gun game bunch on the
Dreamcast, but it still is fun to play like the other ones. What
it seriously lacks in originality, it makes up for it with solid
game play. If youd have to get just one gun game on the
Dreamcast, it may as well be House of the Dead 2. But for only
$20, you may as well add this one to your collection too.